The present invention relates to a locking and adjustment device particularly usable in ski boots.
Devices for locking cables are currently known having a knob for winding a cable at adapted winders and/or pulleys.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,456, filed by the same Assignee, discloses a device comprising a box-like body provided with a knob acting on a spool for winding at least one cable, said device having ratchet-gear means controlled by said knob and adapted to lock said spool in any position during the rotation of said knob in one direction and to unlock said spool upon the rotation of said knob in the opposite direction.
To prevent the skier, unwinding the cable, from accidentally rotating the knob such as to cause said cable to wind in the opposite direction with respect to the designed one, the device has an axially raised tooth, of an inner set of teeth provided on said spool, which interferes with a small collar provided at the base of the teeth of a small pinion associated with the knob, said interference locking the relative rotation of said pinion with respect to a set of teeth present at a flange provided on an axial body protruding from a ring rigidly associated in rotation with said small pinion associated with said knob.
This device however has the disadvantage of being relatively expensive due to the particular mechanical machinings and to the related toerances to be imposed on the components of the device to prevent the rotation of the knob beyond the point of maximum unwinding.
As a partial solution to this disadvantage, European Pat. No. 0 132 744 by the same Assignee, discloses a device having an actuation element comprising a spool for the winding of a cable rigidly associated in rotation with a knob supported, with the possibility of rotation and axial translatory motion, by a fixed body associated with the shell.
To prevent the rotation of said knob beyond the point of maximum unwinding, a stroke limit element is provided, constituted by a pin extending axially from said knob which engages by contact with a stop abutment defined on the shell constituting the boot.
This device also has disadvantages, only one turn of winding being allowed for the knob, this limitation being very restrictive for the use of the device, a single turn not being always sufficient to ensure an adequate locking of the cable.